


Some Boys Lie-I Don't Let Them Play

by stranger_thanfiction



Series: Stranger Things 30 Day Challenge [21]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, Max-centric, boys ain't shit and max basically teaches el that, elmax - Freeform, elmax is friendship goals don't test me, girl friendships are what keeps the earth turning, there's some angst but it's mostly the break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-07-08 15:50:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19872154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stranger_thanfiction/pseuds/stranger_thanfiction
Summary: El and Max have never been the closest, mostly due to serious miscommunication when the other girl was missing and jealousy that was never addressed, so she’s kind of bewildered when El shows up outside her house.The other girl looks heartbroken and confused, so Max welcomes her in and lets her vent in her bedroom.She’s not even close with El, but Max is about ring Wheeler’s neck.(also known as, Max helps El realize that she's amazing with and without a man)





	Some Boys Lie-I Don't Let Them Play

**Author's Note:**

> Today's prompt from @hey-dingus' 30 Day ST Challenge is favorite friendship, and who doesn't love El and Max? Female friendships make the world go around, and although I adore The Party, these two hold a special place in my heart. 
> 
> (Also, I wrote this roughly three weeks ago, for a different prompt, but I've been sitting on this because I love their friendship!)   
> As always, comments and kudos are better writing fuel than coffee, and you can always visit my tumblr @modernfeminismtalking. Enjoy!

Max Mayfield has always been under the impression that boys are just dumb.

Between Billy’s callous behavior and her dad not being around, she’s become incredibly confident in the idiocy of the male species. 

Don’t get her started on Neil.

That being said, she really does like Lucas. He’s cute and he makes her laugh, and he’s never afraid to step up to bat for her. It’s never necessary, Max can handle herself, but it’s nice to know. 

Unfortunately, he’s also a massive asshole sometimes, and so are his friends. 

El and Max have never been the closest, mostly due to serious miscommunication when the other girl was missing and jealousy that was never addressed, so she’s kind of bewildered when El shows up outside her house.

The other girl looks heartbroken and confused, so Max welcomes her in and lets her vent in her bedroom. 

She’s not even close with El, but Max is about ring Wheeler’s neck. 

Max’s chest aches because El doesn’t get it. Nana’s about as sick as Billy right now. 

El is so nice and naive, standing up for Mike when he’s being a dick. 

“But, friends don’t lie,” she says softly, as if trying to make herself believe it.

“Yeah, well, _boy_ friends lie,” Max counters, her frustration echoing in waves.

“All. the. time.”

El’s shoulders cave in, and she plays with the frayed hem of the flannel she’s wearing.

Max, pitying El, plops down beside her on the bed and bumps her shoulder. 

“Hey, El, you know Party rules, right?”

The other girl looks up, eyebrows furrowed. 

“Friends don’t lie?” 

“Well, yeah, that’s rule one, but there’s also the other rules.”

“I..don’t follow.”

“There’s also ‘whoever draws blood, shakes hands first’.”

El stares blankly at the redhead.

“Which means,” Max begins slowly, “that because Mike lied, he has to apologize first. Rule of Law.” 

“But, I didn’t bleed?”

“El, he needs to apologize because he lied, alot. He also hurt your feelings, which is kind of like blood, so he needs to apologize first.”

“Then I apologize?” the brunette asks. 

“No, you did nothing wrong. He treated you like garbage.”

“But, what if he doesn’t apologize? Or call?” 

Max scoffs, as if the idea is ridiculous. Wheeler is so whipped for her, she’s surprised he hasn’t already called, blubbering apologies and begging for forgiveness. 

“He definitely will. He likes you a lot.”

El looks at her warily. 

“Trust me on this one, El. I’ve dumped Lucas five times now, and each time he comes crawling back.”

El still looks unsure and sad, going back to picking at the hem of the flannel that Max is pretty sure used to be Hopper’s. 

_That’s it!_

Max jumps off the bed and grabs Eleven’s hands.

“C’mon, we’re gonna go do something fun!” she exclaims.

El doesn’t pull away, allowing Max to tug her off the bed and out of the room. 

“There’s more to life than stupid boys!”

Starcourt Mall is popping with life from the minute the girls walk off the bus. 

A wave of uneasiness flashes through El when she sees the sheer amount of people around her, but this is quickly washed away by excitement as she enters the mall.

The first thing she notices is that the mall is so full of _color_. Everyone is in colored clothing that is as bright as the signs for all the stores. 

El wants to see and try and look at everything, but Max pulls her first into what looks like a clothing store. 

She looks in awe at all the clothes around her, and Max points out that she should try on something she likes.

El walks out in a pink outfit, and is impressed to look in the mirror.

_Pretty_ , she thinks, and wonders in the back of her mind if Mike would think so, too.

Max likes this one, and twelve other ones, so El ends up leaving the store dressed in a new outfit (something Max called a romper) with three more outfits in her bag. 

The pair go to the shoe store next, and El tries to wear shoes with little lifts on them, called “heels.” 

The heels don’t go over as well as the outfits do, and the girls are sent tumbling to the ground. 

Unbruised, they laugh it off, even when they receive dirty looks from the other girls in the store. 

_Mouthbreathers_ , El thinks, waving them off, until she recognizes the girl with the orange hair.

As they leave the store, El asks Max if that girl is friends with the Party at school.

“Friends? The boys wish. If you recognize the girl with the orange hair, she’s the one who turned Dustin down at the Snow Ball.” 

El’s heart sinks, remembering Dustin’s recollection of the dance to the group later, saying about how awesome Nancy was for coming to dance with him. 

She remembers Mike going a little green at the comments about his sister.

Max takes El to a picture studio next. They dress up and pose for pictures, and El is giddy with joy and excitement. 

The pair receive copies of their pictures, El making a mental note to hide them from Hop, and they head back into the food court. 

Max wants to go to Scoops Ahoy to get ice cream from Steve, but they run into the mean girls from the shoe store.

El’s relaxed enough to do simple mind tricks, so she decides to make the orange haired girl’s drink explode. 

Maybe she puts a little too much force behind it, because the cup explodes, drenching all the girls in Orange Julius, and getting it trapped in the girl’s hair.

Her nose doesn’t even bleed. Dustin can do better.

As a celebration, they get that ice cream from Steve. 

Steve’s always been nice to El, and lets her try as many flavors as she likes until she decides on plain chocolate. 

Max, not needing a taste, gets strawberry, and insists on waffle cones for the both of them. 

After the pair hand over the money, Steve seems to remember who exactly is in front of him.

“Wait a minute, can you even be here?” 

The girls laugh off the question, cones in hand, and Steve shakes his head.

If Hopper asks, he knows nothing.

With their stomachs full and arms heavy with bags, they decide their day out has been exciting enough, and Max tells El she’s got so much to show her when they get back to her house.

All their fun, however, is derailed when Max sees the three stooges themselves, dejectedly getting back on their bikes.

Oh yes, Nana is so sick. 

Lucas looks as though the Grim Reaper has found him when the girls approach Mike is half angry, half scared of El, and instead of just owning up to what he did, he keeps lying. 

Max just lets him dig himself his own grave, but provides a window.

“How do you like her new look?” she asks, her eyebrows pointing up in a “ _you’re-an-actual-dumbass-compliment-her-and-maybe-you-can-save-this_ ” gesture.

Mike completely misses this. He starts ranting about how she’s not supposed to be here and rules and trying to buy her something but being broke.

Max is exhausted just listening to him. 

She shoots Lucas a pointed look, but he can only throw his hands up in surrender. 

Max glances back at Will, who looks miserable just being here and focuses back on El, who’s moved closer to Mike. 

“You lie,” El starts, her voice wavering and Max can swear she sees tears forming in her eyes, “why do you lie?”

Mike opens and closes his mouth, unable to form an answer. El takes another step towards him, and Mike unconsciously takes a step back, fear dancing across his face.

“I dump your ass!” she says strongly, viciously, before turning around to head to the bus stop. 

Max’s jaw drops, and the entire group freezes before she decides to follow her newly single friend. 

She turns to look at them before boarding the bus, and the three boys are still standing there, shocked. 

Max avoids Lucas’ gaze and finds her seat next to El. 

The pair sit for a hot second of silence before erupting in giggles and high-fiving each other.

_Yeah_ , Max decides, settling herself for the ride home, _boys are really dumb_.   
  



End file.
